A novel performance metric for grey-scale edge detection

This paper will discuss grey-scale edge detection evaluation techniques. It will introduce three of the most common edge comparison methods and assess their suitability for grey-scale edge detection evaluation. This suitability evaluation will include Pratt's Figure Of Merit (FOM), Bowyer's Closest Distance Metric (CDM), and Prieto and Allen's Pixel Correspondence Metric. The relative merits of each method will be discussed alongside the inconsistencies inherent to each technique. Finally, a novel performance criterion for grey-scale edge comparison, the Grey-scale Figure Of Merit (GFOM) will be introduced which overcomes some of the evaluation faults discussed. Furthermore, a new technique for assessing the relative connectivity of detected edges will be described and evaluated. Overall this will allow a robust and objective method of gauging edge detector performance